Sarawak Southern Region Council (Kuching & Sri Aman) Boys’ Brigade celebrated the 129th Boys’ Brigade Founder’s Day at Chin Fu Methodist Church (8th Kuching Company) on 27 October 2012. That night, we were honored with the presence of the Sarawak Boys’ Brigade Founder, Mr. Charles Henry Ingka and Sarawak State Commissioner, Honorary Captain Lo Hooi Fook. Other participants were BB Kuching Southern Region companies’ chaplains, captains, officers and the members of Boys’ Brigade with their parents. Sarawak Southern Region Council Boys’ Brigade includes 9 Kuching Companies and 1 Sri Aman Company, there were nearly 300 participants for the two and a half hour thanks giving service.

The service was led by Captain Hii King Ong of 7th Kuching Company. The highlight of the opening ceremony was the General Salute from Guard of Honor, which was received by Honorary Captain Lo Hooi Fook. The theme of this year Founder’s Day was “An Extraordinary Life”, spoke by Honorary Captain Lo Hooi Fook. The other main programs in the service were the presentation of “Whom Shall I Fear?” by BB Choir, Founder’s Memorial Video Presentation, Recitation of Jubilee’s Message of Hope (this message, was written by The Boys’ Brigade while celebrating the 50th Founder’s Day in the year 1933, was to the Boys’ Brigade which could only open and read the message while celebrating the Centennial Founder’s Day in the year 1983), Reflection on Founder, Award and Prize Presentation, Founder’s Day Cake Cutting Ceremony and BB Kuching Southern Region Activities 2012 Video Presentation.

Sir William Alexander Smith (27 October 1854 -10 May 1914) founded the Boys’ Brigade as the first youth uniform body in the world on 4 October 1883, the objective was to advance Christ Kingdom, train youths to be healthy in body, mind and spirit, therefore to be completely offered and used by God. In the speech of “An Extraordinary Life”, Honorary Captain Lo Hooi Fook pointed out that every one of us including William Alexander Smith is an ordinary man, but to live an extraordinary life is a choice by our own self. Everyone experiences birth, age, sick and death, but the first step to live an extraordinary life is to know God and accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior, because He died for our sins, rose from the death, and gives us new life. Jesus Christ is the Great Captain of the Boys’ Brigade. For William Smith’s spirit of pioneer, service to the children and founding the Boys’ Brigade, he was knighted by King Edward VII in the year 1909. Until today, the Boy’s Brigade is in 60 over countries to transform millions of youths’ lives.

It is worth mentioning that the home building Community Care Projectwas done in partnership with Habitat for Humanity’, whereby the Southern Region Council companies’ members built a house at Kampung Sinar Baru, Padawan for an Iban family of 22 family members which faced hardships. The objectives of this project were to train our BB members to serve family in need, expand their world view, grow spiritually, live out the love of Christ and to have positive influence to the community. The BB members used their weekends and school holidays, with the head counts of 391 and within 14 days, completed the house building project on 15 September 2012, and the house was officially handed over to the benefited family on 6 October 2012.